Becoming a Monster
Chapter 144: Is Hope Lost?

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Is Hope Lost?

Noah tried to prepare a mana bolt even more destructive than the one he had released before. As he channeled the ability, forcing the compression of the two mana balls into one, his body began to experience a series of sharp, intense aches coursing through him. The strain was immediate and severe; his muscles twitched and protested under the immense pressure of energy he was trying to contain. His veins seemed on the verge of bursting, and his mana ravaged his body from the inside as he struggled to expand its circulation. It felt as though his very essence was rebelling against the power he was attempting to harness, warning him that he was pushing himself beyond his limits.

The experience was not solely physical; a mind-numbing shock surged in intense bouts in his thoughts, causing his focus waver as he attempted to stabilize the mana in his hands as he tried to draw out more power into the skill. The mana flickered and remained unstable as he wrestled with the raw energy threatening to tear him apart from within.

"Damnit...." he cursed through clenched teeth, resigning himself to his limit.

The intensity of the mana in his palms represented his strongest trump card. Logically, it should have been effective against the Queen, despite her awe-inspiring power-up. Yet, frustration gnawed at him; the frustration of not being able to push himself further, of his body and mind being too weak to handle more.

Noah instinctively understood the gravity of his situation. With the Queen’s endurance, there was a high probability she would withstand the attack, leaving him and his creatures at mercy; a mercy that was nonexistent in those malicious eyes. With the situation as dire as it was, Noah had no choice but to give everything into this one attack, risking any potential injuries that may occur.

His breath hitched, a heavy weight pressing on his chest. He knew there was no other option, no room for hesitation. He had to pour everything into this one attack, risking not just his strength but his very life. Whatever injuries or consequences awaited him would have to be faced later, if there was a later.

"FENRIR!!" Noah screamed with every ounce of his soul, his mana unintentionally amplifying his voice until it echoed across the battlefield. The sound cut through the unsettling tension, finally reaching Fenrir even amidst his savage frenzy.

Fenrir’s dilated, crazed vision momentarily paused during his feeding. His pupils returned to normal as he registered Noah’s stern call. His bloodied, battered form whipped around, his eyes narrowing in on Noah’s location.

"Arachne?" Noah felt that he managed to reach Fenrir, bringing his attention to his side as he called out to his partner. The sudden call of her name alerted Arachne, but the somber tone made her pause, sensing the situation was even worse than expected.

She turned towards him, their eyes locking. There was an unspoken understanding between them, a bond forged through their shared struggles. Arachne saw the resolve in his eyes that left no room for doubt. This was the mindset that had allowed them to get this far, to become this strong, and to prevail over the insurmountable.

"This is it," Noah continued, his voice straining as he maintained the intensity of his spell. "No matter what happens, we must give it our all. As soon as you get the opportunity, attack with everything you have. Regardless of what happens to me, we have to put that thing down."

Arachne nodded, her resolve matching his own. There was no room for hesitation, no time for second-guessing. She could feel the intensity of Noah’s mana, the sheer force of his will, and she knew this would be their last stand against the monstrous Queen. Without another word, Arachne braced herself, every muscle tensed in preparation for the moment when she would strike with all her might.

Noah’s hands continued to tremble. The spell was ready, but he was determined to push it further. He cast a final glance at Arachne, drawing strength from the trust they shared before finally thinking about Ailetta and how she might feel if he was to fall here.

That thought spurred an even deeper emotion, consuming any earlier resolve he had. He realized his thinking was wrong, terribly wrong. It wasn’t about how Ailetta would feel; if he perished here, Ailetta would undoubtedly be killed by the Queen and her army. His earlier resolve transformed drastically, his newfound determination materializing into reality as his mana flared, threatening to engulf him.

Noah’s violet pupils expanded, devouring his irises, while the red jewel at the center of his eyes grew to the size of his original pupils, glowing ominously with the sheer power he was channeling. Noah was no longer contemplating the slim chance of winning; he Needed to win.

As he activated Ruler’s Fury, the results of the ritual differed from before. His sanity was no longer rivaled by the crazed beast bent on violence; instead, his appearance resembled a madman set out for destruction. The energy radiating from him was intense, his hair wild and untamed as if it too had succumbed to the madness driving him. With his mind set on victory at any cost, Ruler’s Fury coursed through his veins, pushing him beyond its usual limits.

The sphere within Noah’s hands pulsed ominously, its size expanding dramatically, nearly doubling in an instant. The sudden increase in its magnitude sent ripples of energy through the air, creating an eerie, low-frequency hum that resonated with pure, raw power. The very air around him seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the mana, distorting the space and casting a strange light across the battlefield.

Noah’s eyes glowed ominously, the ground beneath him threatened to break apart.

When the spell was fully prepared, Noah unleashed a roar of painful intensity, infused with the maddening sanity that was able to manifest from his spirit, causing everyone who wasn’t strong enough to cower under his voice.

The massive sphere of energy traveled through the air faster than before, reaching the Queen before she could fully stabilize Noah’s mana within her. The sphere collided with her, unleashing an explosive force that sent a shockwave rippling through the air, distorting the battlefield further and casting an intense, blinding light in every direction. The shockwave was powerful enough to knock anyone below the awakened stage to their feet, while even Arachne was forced several meters back before she managed to plant herself firmly.

Meanwhile, Noah’s body was tossed aside like a rag doll, his strength entirely drained from the abuse of overextending his limits. As he was flung through the air and crashed to the ground, the pain went unnoticed; his only thoughts were focused on the outcome of his spell. Hearing the Queen’s pained cries, triumphing the shrieks from his earlier manabolt, a small, exhausted smile struggled to form on his face.

With the spell’s residual effects still lingering, both Fenrir and Arachne remained cautious, their vigilance focused on the blinding light.

They waited impatiently for the first sign that they could advance through the residual energy. Due to the sphere’s destructive display, no one questioned when the Queen’s dramatic cries ceased to be heard.

Fenrir was the first to lunge into the residual smoke created from the blast. His instincts gave him an understanding of the leaking energy’s intensity, allowing him to know that he could withstand the energy with his constitution alone.

Arachne watched with growing frustration and a sense of foreboding as Fenrir disappeared into the smoke. Despite not seeing the Queen’s condition, her heightened sixth sense developed from her skill, Queen’s Intuition, enabling her to sense any impending danger towards her hierarchy. She felt a deep-seated fear that Noah’s life was in danger.

Though she wanted to rush to Noah’s side, her trust in him and his directive to finish what he started held her back. Her legs tensed with pressure, ready to attack at the first opportunity.

Suddenly, her sensory hairs detected it before her eyes did; Fenrir’s oversized form was hurled away from where the Queen resided. Seeing Fenrir thrown back in such a manner, Arachne resolved to bide her time. The Queen wasn’t as weakened by the attack as she and Noah had hoped. When Fenrir next tracked, Arachne would press forward, prepared to sacrifice an arm and some leg to ensure the enemy’s defeat.

Fenrir slowly recovered from the attack, his stamina and regeneration not as robust as before. A fist size wound was found on his stomach, puncturing through muscle and bone, left a gaping, pulsating injury struggling to heal.

Despite the seemingly fatal wound, Fenrir glared at the Queen’s location with an unbridled fury. His form magically shrinks as he recuperates, now a dwarfish version of his former self.

During his attack, he was sent flying without being able to make an attack of his own or being able to perceive how he was hit. In order to have a fighting chance he reduced his size, further increasing the stats of his agility and stamina at the cost of his strength and constitution.

He only needed a few more seconds before his transformation finished. However, during the wait, a sudden blur disappeared from the smoke, its speed blowing away both the residual smoke and energy alike.

Both Arachne and Fenrir were significant threats, but the Queen had only one target in mind: Noah who had to die no matter what. She arrived at his side in less than a second, looming over him with a hated yet arrogant demeanor after finally seeing his pathetic state after attacking her. This would’ve been the perfect time to remove his life from existence, but seeing his state, the Queen felt his quick death tarnish her pride for the rest of her life, his energy that further transcended her would only become a dark reminder of this embarrassing moment.

Slash*

While in her thoughts, she unhesitantly cut off one of his arms, the sudden pain jolting him awake from his fatigued daze. His eyes widened when finally seeing her new state.

Her exoskeleton is still as charred as before, if not more, which would’ve left her appearance almost completely black. But now, patches within her hide reflected purple bearings of armor that didn’t reflect the damage of the rest of her body. Most of the once red sections were now replaced with this new, sinister hue. Her compound eyes had turned the same shade as Noah’s pupils, a chilling reflection of the stolen power. The most striking change was her antennas: extended to match her body length, they were made of three joints, with the third portion glistening like razor sharp blades. Luckily, one of her antennae was partially intact.

Although her new appearance indicated her enhanced power, it also showed that his attack still did significant damage. Three out of her four arms were completely destroyed, or at least there was nothing left to use as an arm, leaving her with only one functioning arm remaining. Her domineering presence made it hard to notice, but one of her legs were also badly damaged, the majority of the front of her thigh was completely burned through by the result of the mana’s heated intensity.

As the Queen disdainfully stared at Noah, his painful expression made the Queen feel a joy she didn’t believe to be possible.

"Does it hurt, little inse-" The Queen was about to bask in her arrogance when her antenna suddenly attacked on her side. A blur approached her at a speed that was slightly slower than her own, but she didn’t feel it necessary to put a lot of effort into the new prey that approached, believing that just like the beast from before, this one would be put down just as easily.

But then the Queen was forced to step away, realizing that not only did her attack miss, but four different attacks aimed towards her wounds. The daring attempt to try to fight on par with her elicited an annoyed snort from the Queen, drawing her attention away from Noah for the meantime.

Though she considered the attacker to be insignificant, the fact that they had forced her to divert her attention was an insult she couldn’t ignore.

"Foolish..."